Come Back Nino: A Dark Miraculous Story
by The One-Shot Sphere
Summary: When Nino gets akumatized, things quickly spiral out of control, ending with Alya being hospitalised. A Nino x Alya story that ends in tragedy...or does it?
1. I didn't mean to hurt her

**A darker miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it? **

**Disclaimer: I realise my account is "The One-Shot Sphere", but for this one I'm breaking form and splitting it into six chapters + an epilogue. Enjoy!**

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**_Chapter 1: I didn't mean to hurt her_**

Nino did not know what to feel.

He watched as Alya lay motionless on her hospital bed, breathing ever so lightly. He sighed.

It was all his fault.

As he contemplated what he had done, and how Alya had only just survived, a sideways thought entered his brain. He tried to dismiss it, but as he grew angrier and angrier with himself, it completely took over his mind.

He was going to make sure this never happened again. And the only surefire way to prevent himself from being used as a threat was to make sure no one could use him. It didn't matter how powerful Hawkmoth or his akumas had become; even he couldn't use someone that wasn't there.

* * *

_*Two days ago*_

Nino was exhausted.

What had started as a particularly rough morning had ended as the most stressful day in his high school career. A jam-packed schedule of tests and quizzes, three reports due, and being asked so many favours and tasks by his teachers and classmates, all with little to no thanks. Every little thing had piled up into a giant feeling of being overwhelmed, irritated and emotionally drained.

In the moment, Nino honestly felt that nobody was understanding how tired he was. Perhaps his usual laid-back persona had led people to believe he was incapable of being upset, but if so that simply wasn't true. Tired and angry, he threw himself onto his bed, scrunching his cap in his hand.

"Why can't they just give me a break? Nobody even cares if I'm exhausted or not…"

As he continued to seethe in his stress and rage, a familiar flapping sound met his ears. Nino opened his eyes, looking for what was making the noise. Unfortunately, by the time he spotted it, it was already too late.

An akuma had entered his bedroom, and immediately latched onto his cap. Nino tried his best to fight off the hypnotic power of the akuma, but it was no use. As his senses slowly gave way, he heard an even more familiar sound: Hawkmoth's voice.

"_De-energizer_! I give you the power to suck the energy out of anyone you desire. Go forth and spread your exhaustion so everyone can know your pain! All I ask in return is that you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous! Can I trust your abilities?"

"Yes, Hawkmoth!" Nino spat automatically. As the purple mist engulfed him, he felt the last ounce of consciousness he had held onto slip out of his grasp.

* * *

"HELP! RUN! DON'T LET HIM ZAP Y-"

"AHH HA HA! You can't escape me!"

The evil laughter echoed through the streets of Paris as De-energizer flew around in his cloaked all-black outfit, zapping people with his cap-turned-helmet, which was now emitting energy-draining beams.

"Yes, yes! Keep up the good work." said Hawkmoth over his akuma. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here soon, and then I will have their miraculous!"

Sure enough, the two heroes of Paris quickly arrived, swinging over the rooftops and hot on the heels of their latest villain. De-energizer quickly tried to zap Ladybug, but she was too quick, dodging the beams with relative ease. He then turned his attention to Chat Noir, who responded by launching himself towards him, catching De-energizer with a solid swing of his baton.

As De-energizer rapid fired to keep the heroes at bay, he spotted the school in the distance, and immediately felt his rage building.

"That damned school drained me of all my energy!" he growled through clenched teeth. "Let's see how they like it!"

He fired a few more beams at Ladybug, before taking off at full speed towards the school. Ladybug fell backwards, but managed to regain her balance as she watched De-energizer fly away.

"Hey! He's headed for my sch- I mean, Francois Dupont High!" she yelled to Chat Noir.

"What?!"

"Quickly! We have to get there before anyone gets zapped!"

"Right! Let's hurry!"

* * *

By the time Ladybug and Chat Noir made it to the school, De-energizer had already started wrecking havoc. People had been zapped left right and centre, keeling over with exhaustion. Ladybug scanned for the villain, and quickly found him by the staircase of the atrium. As she swung in on her yo-yo to confront him, she saw something that made her blood run cold.

De-energizer had cornered Alya.

"YOU! You're the one that took up my energy! Let's see how you like being drained of everything you've got!" he roared, as Alya furiously tried to run away whilst filming for the Ladyblog.

"What are you talking about?! I've never seen you before!" she protested, scrambling down the stairs.

"Oh, but I think you have…"

Alya looked up, and froze on the spot. De-energizer was pulling back his cloak, revealing his face. Alya, Ladybug and Chat Noir all gasped when they saw who was under the hood.

"Nino?!"

Before any of them had any time to process it, De-energizer had blasted Alya with the strongest beam yet, roaring uncontrollably. Ladybug quickly swung through with a hefty kick, but De-energizer dodged it, continuing to zap Alya. Chat Noir came flying in from the other direction, but De-energizer caught his baton and threw him to the floor.

As the two heroes continued fighting, De-energizer just continued to drain Alya. Eventually, her screams became exhausted groans, her arms and legs flopping helplessly to her sides.

"Let her go!" yelled Ladybug, unable to watch her best friend suffer any longer.

"Lucky charm!"

For once, her miraculous spat out a direct solution: a mirror.

Not needing to be told twice, Ladybug chucked the mirror to Chat Noir, who used his baton to catapult it towards De-energizer. As it lodged itself between the stairs, De-energizer was hit square in the face by his own beam, knocking him off-balance. Chat Noir swiftly jumped up to him, diving for his helmet cap.

"Cataclysm!"

Chat Noir scraped his claw over the helmet, destroying it and releasing the akuma. As Nino fell to the ground out of the purple mist, Ladybug hastily captured and purified the akuma. Her mind then immediately went to her best friend, who was lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs.

"Alya! Are you alright?" she said, rushing over to her, with Chat following close behind. No response. Panicking, Ladybug quickly checked Alya's pulse. She felt her panic growing as she detected that her heart was beating dangerously slow.

"Quick, m'lady! Your miraculous ladybug!"

Ladybug mentally kicked herself. Why didn't she think of that?

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she said, throwing the mirror into the air. As the ladybugs swarmed around the city and the school and reverted everything, Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief. Until she looked down again.

"Alya! ALYA! Oh, no no no no…."

Alya was still unconscious, with her heart rate still critical.

"I thought it was supposed to revert everything!" Ladybug yelled, wringing her hands.

"I think it might have damaged her too much!" said Chat Noir, whipping out his baton. "I'm calling an ambulance!"

Not a few moments later, an ambulance had pulled up in front of the gates. As the emergency personnel lifted Alya onto a stretcher, Nino came back around, groaning groggily as he gathered his bearings.

"Where am I...wait, Ladybug? Chat Noir?"

Ladybug looked back at Nino, and a mirage of emotions came pouring through. Anger, frustration, sadness and fear all came in one clump. However, she immediately felt devastated for Nino when she saw him look over at who was being carried into the ambulance.

"Oh no...is that…Alya?"

Ladybug could no longer hold back her tears. It was too much; she was worried for Alya, angry and simultaneously felt sorry for Nino, and was beyond afraid that Hawkmoth knew how to create such a sinister villain. Nino gulped as his mind put two and two together.

"Please tell me I wasn't the one who did that." he asked desperately, his voice shaking with fear as the ambulance rushed away.

Ladybug couldn't face him as she held her head in her hands. Chat Noir kneeled down to where her and Nino were, and slowly nodded his head.

******* To be Continued *******

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**Thank you so much for reading. The next few chapters will hopefully be out soon!**


	2. Don't Go

**A dark Miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Don't Go**_

Hawkmoth watched in his lair as the events of De-energizer unfolded. As the purified akuma sailed back in through the window, he held out his hand for it to perch on. For a minute or so, he simply stood there, pondering to himself. The silence was eventually broken by Nathalie, who had been watching the battle alongside him.

"Sir? Is something wrong?" she asked calmly.

"This is new." he said, more into space than to Nathalie. "I have never seen an example of Ladybug's miraculous being unable to reverse the effects of my akuma's wrath."

"...what exactly does this mean, sir?"

"It means" said Hawkmoth, turning around to face her, "that Ladybug's miraculous cannot guarantee the healing of physical trauma. My akumas therefore have the ability to leave real, lasting damage. And I plan to utilise that."

Nathalie was taken aback by her master's words.

"Sir...I must say, I support your endeavours," she began cautiously, "but physically injuring people beyond repair...I'm not sure if this is something Madam Emilie would have wanted."

"Nathalie, I must clarify. I am not planning to put anyone in mortal danger." he responded cooly. "I never have and never will be willing to...to kill for Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous." he said softly, as Nathalie flinched at the word 'kill'.

"However" he continued. "I also know that Ladybug and Chat Noir would never be willing to use lethal force to defeat my akumas. Everytime they have defeated me, they have found a way to do so without injuring the people I evilise. They have simply destroyed or cataclysmed the object my akuma attached itself to. If I am to guarantee a victory, I must allow my akuma to attach itself to something that Ladybug and Chat Noir's morals will not allow them to destroy."

Nathalie held in a gasp as she realised what he meant.

"The person's body." she whispered, looking down at the floor. "You're going to attach the akuma to the body itself, so that the only way to release the akuma would be to destroy the person."

"Exactly." said Hawkmoth, slowly inching towards her. "And I assure you, once I have what I need, I will release the akuma from the victim myself." he said as gently as he could. "But in order to do this, I need to change the property of my akumas. For that, I need you..."

Nathalie looked up, her mind slowly putting two and two together. Hawkmoth needed _her._ But he didn't need Nathalie. He needed…

"...Catalyst."

* * *

A full week had passed since Nino had been akumatized. Alya had made a full recovery, and school had resumed as usual.

However, it has also been a full week since anybody had seen Nino. He was not attending his classes anymore, hiding himself away at home. Marinette had attempted to contact him, but to no avail. Nino had privately told Adrien through a text that he felt he could not show his face to the school ever again, but had also asked him to not share the text with his friends.

Alya sighed as the school bell rang at the end of the day. All day, she could only think about her Nino. She was desperate to see him, mostly to smack some sense into him and tell him that it wasn't his fault. However, she also knew that if serious injury or even death by akuma was a real possibility, it made some level of cruel sense to keep Nino away from the school. His level of guilt would probably be exactly what Hawkmoth would need to akumatise him again, and the first person he would come for would be her.

"Hey, Alya?"

Alya shook herself out of her trance as Adrien walked over to where she was sitting. The classroom had mostly emptied, apart from Ms. Bustier cleaning the board at the front.

"Hey, Adrien." she said weakly, looking down again as her friend sat himself down next to her. Adrien sighed as he registered immediately who Alya was thinking about. In the safety of her friend sitting next to her, she began to think out loud.

"I know it's been a week already but...I can't get used to this." she whispered, as Adrien leaned in closer to listen. "It...it wasn't his fault. And even if it was, he wasn't himself. I just know he's sitting there in his room, blaming himself for everything."

She shook her head as the tears threatened to come. "All I want is to see him again...that's all." she said, her voice begining to crack. "Is that so much to ask?"

Adrien didn't know what to say. Perhaps it was better not to say anything. He sighed again, and gently put a comforting arm around her. Alya leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes, as the tiniest of tears rolled down her cheek and onto Adrien's jacket.

After a couple minutes of staying there, Adrien slowly got up to leave. Alya followed suit, walking down to the front of the classroom. Ms. Bustier opened the door for them, giving Alya a hug on the way out.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, and about Nino not being here." she said gently, as Alya wiped her eyes. "I'm sure he'll realise someday that he can come back here."

Alya nodded a thank you, and walked down the stairs to the atrium with Adrien. Marinette was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and joined Adrien in walking Alya home.

"Thanks guys." said Alya, as her two friends waved her goodbye in front of her house.

"No problem." smiled Marinette. "We'll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

"I'll keep trying to contact Nino, but in the meantime, don't lose hope." said Adrien. "I'm sure we'll see him again someday."

Alya simply smiled, and waved goodbye as she closed the door behind her.

_Someday_, she thought to herself as she sat down on the living room sofa. She felt as if that day couldn't come soon enough. Unfortunately, little did she know that she would meet Nino again very soon, but not as she knew him.

* * *

"Catalyst, I give you the ability to boost powers! Together we can guarantee that Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous will be ours."

"Yes, Hawkmoth." responded Catalyst, swiftly moving forward. Hawkmoth held out an akuma for her, as she gently held her hand over it as it flapped its wings. "I grant your akuma the ability to latch onto sentient beings."

Instantly, the akuma turned a dark shade of red, with the usual purpe glow dimmed into a dark shadow. Hawkmoth smiled. The plan was coming together.

"Tomorrow, I release you unto Paris, little akuma" he said, as Catalyst held it in her hand. "And it shall finally be my victory!"

* * *

_*The next day*_

Nino sat alone in his room, thinking over his decision. His mind was already made up. He had decided that day in the hospital room that this was for the best. Something in his heart told him it was a bad idea, but he shrugged it off. The decision was final; he was doing this for Alya. No matter how powerful Hawkmoth was, he couldn't use Nino to threaten her if he wasn't there. He was going to do it. He was going to end the danger once and for all. He was going to end his life.

As he stood up to look out of his window, he saw something that he had been dreading. A dark red akuma was flying up to his window, and fased through the glass and into his room. Nino quickly jumped out of the way of it, but it was no use; the red mist eveloped him before he knew it, as the akuma went straight into his chest.

Nino waited for his senses to go astray again...but it didn't happen. He opened his eyes, looking around his room. Confused, he looked down at his clothes, which had changed into his De-energizer outfit. Nino was dumbfounded. Somehow, he had been akumatised, but had complete control of himself.

Almost disturbingly quickly, Nino hatched another plan. If he wreacked havoc at the school in his villain form again, Ladybug and Chat Noir would come to save the day, and would surely use their powers. Then all he had to do was…

_Get myself Cataclysmed. That's it, _he thought to himself. It was a surefire way to make sure he'd be out for good.

With that, he flew out of the window, making a b-line for Francois Dupont High.

* * *

Back in his lair, Hawkmoth was attempting to communicate with Nino, but nothing was going through. He turned to Catalyst with a desperate look on his face.

"Why can't I control him?" he asked, with a hint of panic in his voice. Catalyst remained silent, observing the events with Hawkmoth from afar.

"It seems that because the akuma is within the victim's body itself...the boy has control over the akuma." she said, looking up at Hawkmoth. "We may have just created a rogue villain."

"NO! This cannot be allowed to happen again!" said Hawkmoth, remembering the Startrain incident. "Must I yet again hope that Ladybug and Chat Noir will set things right?"

"But they can't! They would never destroy the boy himself!" said Catalyst, starting to panic herself. "And on top of that, we don't know where De-energizer is. And I don't think you can withdraw the akuma anymore, as the boy has control."

Sure enough, Hawkmoth tried to release the akuma himself, but it had no effect. Now fully panicking, he turned to Catalyst and hung his head.

"What have I done…"

* * *

"LOOK OUT, HE'S BACK!"

Terrified screams echoed throuh the school atrium as De-energizer swooped overhead, threatening to but never actually attacking anybody. He was being very careful to present himself as the akumatised villain, but not hurt anybody else in the process. He was here to do what he had to do, not to put anybody in danger again.

As the students fled back into their classrooms, Adrien and Marinette quickly ran into the bathrooms to transform.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

The two heroes quickly burst out of the doors, too occupied with the thought of stopping the villain to notice they had emerged from the same building.

De-energizer caught sight of the heroes out of the corner of his eye, and swiftly ducked to avoid their attacks.

"I'm here to finish what I started!" he roared, putting on his character incredibly convincingly.

"Oh no, you don't!" yelled Ladybug, throwing herself at him. She quickly snatched his cap helmet off him as she flew through the air, and tore it open as she landed on the staircase.

"No more evildoing for you little- huh?"

Ladybug looked up and panicked. Where was the akuma?

She quickly scanned the villain up and down, looking for somewhere else the akuma might be hiding. Chat Noir was just as confused, staring down and watching it unfold from the railings. De-energizer quickly took his opportunity, swooping down and knocking Ladybug to the ground.

"Chat, the stairs!" she yelled as she swang away on her yo-yo. Chat Noir instantly knew what she meant: destroy the railings, and trap him under the staircase.

"Cataclysm!" he yelled, leaping through the air towards the stair's framework. At the mention of his destructive ability, De-energizer looked up, seeing Chat Noir flying towards him. This was his chance.

At the last moment, he jumped upwards, fasing through the staircase and putting himself in front of the framework.

"NOOOO!"

Chat Noir fell helplessly to the ground as his hand scraped De-energizer's chest, releasing the akuma. As the red mist cleared, Nino fell onto the stairs, tumbling down to the ground below.

Ladybug saw the akuma, and quickly purified it. Her blood then ran cold as she realised she had not used her lucky charm; she had nothing to revert reality back to normal.

Panicking, she threw her yo-yo into the air and shouted the magic words.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The familair red flock of ladybugs burst forth from her yo-yo, and flew about the school. However, nothing seemed to have changed as the ladybugs disappeared; De-energizer had not destroyed any property, so there was nothing to repair. Except of course…

"NINO! NINO, NO!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir turned around to see Alya, horrorstruck and sprinting towards his limp body that was lying at the bottom of the stairs.

She quickly rolled him over, and was further horrified when she glanced down at his leg. A black mist was beginning to eat away at his body, slowly working its way up towards his head. The cataclysm was taking effect.

"CHAT NOIR! WHAT THE F***?!" she roared, pointing to Nino. She was about to unleash a birage of insults when she felt something touch her face. She looked down to see Nino, gently stroking her cheek.

"H...hey Alya..." he croaked.

"NINO! You were cataclysmed and-"

"I know babe, I know." he gasped weakly, as the dust reached his knees. "I...I did it...I did it on purpose...it's not Chat Noir's fault...don't ever think that…"

"What are you talking about?!" yelled Alya, her voice cracking heavily through her confusion and panic. Ladybug and Chat Noir were also crouched over Nino, watching helplessly as the dust reached his torso.

"I...I'm too much of a danger to be kept around..." he continued, as it started to dawn on Alya what he was doing. "...I love you Alya, more than anything...anything in the world...and I'm gonna make sure I can never hurt you again…"

"Nino! NINO! NO! NO! Don't...don't do this!" Alya protested, as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Don't you dare do this, do you hear me?!"

Nino shook his head, groaning as the dust climbed up towards his waist. Ladybug and Chat Noir were also yelling at this point, trying to think of anything they could do to save him. But it was as if their minds had gone blank; they could not think of anything but the sight of their friend beginning to disappear.

"NO! Nino, don't go...please..." Alya whimpered, as she laid down over him, her hand on his chest.

Nino mustered a gentle, weak grin as the dust reached his torso. It was a horrifying sight.

"It's….it's for the best, babe." he croaked, stroking her hair as she began to cry into his shoulder. "Hawkmoth won't stop at anything now. I can't….let you be in danger like this...not like this." he said, as Alya shook her head in protest through her tears. "...and you know it. If I go, that's one less person to akumatise."

"Don't talk like that Nino!" yelled Chat Noir in desperation. "It was never your fault!"

"It doesn't...it doesn't matter if it was my fault or not." replied Nino, his voice starting to fail him now that the dust had reached his neck. "I'm still a danger. Well...not anymore I guess..."

As the dust crawled up his face, his eyes turned to Ladybug, back to Chat, and finally to Alya.

"Thanks for everything guys. I...love...y..."

His last words were cut off as the dust enveloped his eyes, his whole body disappearing into a black mist. Alya felt her heart snap in half as his glasses fell softly onto the ground.

Nino was dead.

*******To Be Continued*******

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**Thank you again for reading! The next chapter will be out shortly! **

**Sorry it's so heartbreaking, but I promise if you make it to the end of the story it won't be as painful. Happy reading!**


	3. Do we have a deal?

**A dark Miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Do we have a deal?**_

The funeral was held two weeks later. It was small and personal, with only Nino's family and closest friends attending.

Marinette broke down as she sobbed into Adrien's shoulder, as tears streamed down his own face. Neither could bear to look at the spot where their friend would have been laid. All that remained were his glasses and cap, placed next to some flowers on the ground, on the spot where he had always played as a child. Alya simply stared at the ground, motionless and numb. She was still in complete shock and disbelief. A part of her wanted to deny it ever happened.

Long after everyone else had left, only Adrien, Marinette and Alya remained, kneeling down in front of Nino's resting place. As the sun began to set, Adrien and Marinette finally stood up.

"Alya...I think we're going to go back now." said Marinette gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah...just give me a minute alone with...with him." she said, calmly. Adrien and Marinette looked at each other, exchanging a silent but heavy sigh. Alya was speaking as if Nino was buried there. It was her way of civilising his death, normalising it and trying to accept reality.

After a few more times of Alya insisting she will be alright on her own, Adrien and Marinette went their separate ways, walking home in the Parisian sunset. Alya looked back at his resting place. She seemed to have run out of tears to cry, even though she was still crushed inside. She began to replay all of the fun memories she had with him; from the time when Ladybug had locked them in a cage together, to all of their romantic nights out, to when they saw each other as superheroes, to the simplest joy of being able to lean on each other and feel them breathe.

Alya eventually got up, as it was getting very dark. However, just as she was about to turn around, her eye caught the leaves of the bushes wavering sharply. Then, a shadow. Then, a voice.

"Alya…"

It wasn't a voice she recognised immedietaly. It was deep, menacing, almost cunning. Swallowing nervously, she slowly turned around to see who the voice belonged to. When she looked up at who it was, she could not believe what she saw.

It was Hawkmoth.

Alya felt her heart skip a beat, as her stomach did a horrible summersault. Her thoughts came to her in one clump, but through the mess of it all she felt an emotion stronger than any other.

Anger.

It was _his_ fault. His fault that Nino was gone, that Nino felt he was too dangerous to be kept alive. It was him that took away Nino. Her Nino. Her precious Nino.

Alya clenched her fists as she tried to quell her rage. Although she wanted nothing more than to blast him away, but she knew she didn't have her Rena Rouge superpowers, and so calmly stood her ground.

"So, it looks as if you have lost someone." said Hawkmoth, slowly walking up to her.

"You did this to him! It's all your fault!" she roared, as tears began to stream down her face. "Your fault! Nino is gone! Because of YOU!"  
"I understand that." Hawkmoth replied cooly. "And I also understand your pain."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" Alya yelled, disgusted to her core. "You're the one who did this! What do you know about losing someone?! You don't love anyone!"

"But that is where you are wrong, child." he responded, strolling ever closer to her. "Did you ever stop to wonder why I want Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous?"  
"To destroy the world? To rule it? To do whatever for your own good?" snapped Alya, growling under her breath.  
"No." he replied, closing his eyes. "To bring back the love of my life."  
Alya paused as she processed what he had said. Was he lying?

"I assure you I do not lie." Hawkmoth said firmly, opening his eyes as if he had read Alya's mind. "I too have lost a loved one, and only together can the miraculous of creation and destruction breathe life into those who have lost it. Alya, you and I want the same thing."

Alya's mind raced as she realised what this meant: there was still a chance that Nino could come back to life.

"If you help me, and my love is returned to life, I will have no reason to endanger Paris any longer. As a token of my trust, I will even be willing to give you my miraculous so that you can do this how you see fit. All you need to do is bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous." He knelt down to her, and held out his hand.

"Do we have a deal?"

*******To Be Continued*******

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**Thanks for reading! Shorter chapter this time, but the next one should be up soon! Keep reading to see what happens next! **


	4. There's Still Hope

**A dark Miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

**Bit of a longer chapter this time, but I promise the story's moving along! Enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 4: There's still hope**_

"Never!" yelled Alya, slapping his hand away. She had run out of patience.

Hawkmoth stepped back in shock, but quickly regained his cool.

"Silly girl…" he said, shaking his head. "What an opportunity you have just thrown away."

Before Alya realised what was happening, she was being thrown back against the park fence. She winced as she scrambled to her feet, ready to fight. She had no powers, but the pure emotion and adrenaline she was riding was enough to keep her going.

Hawkmoth once again reared up to strike, swinging his septor at Alya's head. Alya quickly dodged it, sliding underneath him and punching him off his feet. As she stood up from the dustcloud she had just made, she saw two more shadows coming over the rooftops. Her eyeline caught the attention of Hawkmoth, who looked up to see what was coming.

A flash of red and black ran across Alya's field of vision, as she felt herself being swept off her feet and carried through the air.

"Ladybug!"

"Alya! Are you alright?"

Ladybug quickly landed on the other side of the park, and set Alya down on her feet.

"Thanks Ladybug!"

"No problem, now stay put. You'll be safe here." she said, as she whipped out her yo-yo, ready to return to the fight.

"No, wait!"

Ladybug turned around to Alya, who was standing as if ready to pounce.

"I want to do anything I can to help you guys." she said defiantly. "He's the reason Nino's gone, and I'll do anything to avenge him!"

Ladybug paused for a second, then smiled. She always admired Alya for her bravery, and luckily, she had come prepared for such an event.

She walked back over to Alya, and pulled out a familiar box that made Alya's eyes light up.

"Alya Césaire, this is the miraculous of the fox. You will use it for the greater good."

Alya instantly took the box, opened it put the necklace on. Trixx emerged from a ball of light, greeting his master with a wink and salute.

"Welcome back, Rena Rouge!" said Ladybug grinned. "Now, let's go get Hawkmoth!"

"You got it Ladybug!" said Alya. She was determined to do her duty. For Paris, for her heroes, and for Nino.

"Trixx, let's pounce!"

* * *

Ladybug and Rena Rouge arrived on the scene of the fight, where Chat Noir was engaged in a tight fencing duel with Hawkmoth. As Chat Noir held Hawkmoth's septor in a deadlock, Ladybug swung in on the fence, catapulting herself into Hawkmoth and delivering a kick to his side. As Hawkmoth was knocked off balance, Rena Rouge flew in and snatched his septor. Chat Noir pounced onto him as he fell to the ground, trapping his legs under his staff while Rena Rouge held his torso down with the septor. Ladybug swiftly wrapped him up in her yo-yo, hooking the end through the fence and pulling it tight, making sure Hawkmoth could not move.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my friend!" yelled Rena Rouge. Hawkmoth simply laughed maniacly.

"What _I_ did? Child, he did it to himself." he replied, eliciting a growl from her and Ladybug. "But if anyone is to blame, it is you heroes."

His then eyes fell on Chat Noir. A cruel grin grew on Hawkmoth's face as he saw the guilt in the black cat's eyes.

"Was is not _your_ Cataclysm that ended his life? What a hero you are, weilding the power that took an innocent boy's life! And you!" he said, turning his head to Ladybug. "Your miraculous is supposed to fix everything, and yet it failed to save your precious friend from his fate. What are _you_ if not a failure?"

Chat Noir and Ladybug felt their hearts sink. They knew better than to talk back and stoop to his level, but the words still cut them deep.

"And you, Rena Rouge. Or should I say, _Alya_." he said, spitting her name out in disgust. Rena Rouge felt a cold shiver run down her spine as Hawkmoth said her secret identity out loud. "I gave you a chance to bring your loved one back. And what did you do? You threw it away! You put your honour above your friend."

Rena Rouge could not take it. She screamed in anger, lifting the septor up to deliver a lethal blow. Hawkmoth seized his chance, using his hand that was now free to strike her in the stomach. In the shock of Rena Rouge being thrown back, Chat Noir and Ladybug allowed their concentration to break just for a second. Hawkmoth capitalised instantly, twisting himself free as he quickly kicked Chat Noir backwards and took back his septor.

_Rena Rouge, use your powers! _mouthed Chat Noir, as she was getting back to her feet. Rena Rouge restrained her anger long enough to conjure up an illusion as Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped and hid behind the trees. Hawkmoth glanced up, and saw the three heroes jumping across the rooftops. He cracked an evil smile as he tracked where they were heading.

"You won't escape me, heroes!" he yelled, as he flew up after them. As Hawkmoth took off into the distance, Ladybug, Chat Noir and Rena Rouge emerged from their hiding spots.

Rena Rouge fell to the ground as she detransformed, with Trixx spinning out of his miraculous. Ladybug and Chat Noir were left staring at a dejected Alya, who in turn was staring at the ground. They could tell that the things that Hawkmoth had said were bothering her.

"Alya...don't let what Hawkmoth said get to you." said Chat Noir, leaning down and layng a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing he said was true. It's not your fault."

"I know, but I...I just can't believe myself" she whispered angrily, hanging her head in shame. "I had a chance to fix everything...and I threw it back in his face!"

"What do you mean fix 'everything'?" asked Ladybug.

Alya explained everything. About how Hawkmoth had told her about his intentions, their miraculouses, and the possibility of breathing life into those who had lost it. Ladybug contemplated this for a while, but eventually broke the silence.

"You did the right thing, Alya." she said, comfortingly. "I'm certain Nino would have been very proud of you. He wouldn't have wanted you to give into Hawkmoth."

"But the things he said about bring people back…" said Alya, trailing off. "...is that true? Can you really do that with the miraculous's power?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other. The truth was that neither of them knew for certain. They knew that one wish could be granted to a wearer that weilded both at the same time, but they also knew that it would have consequences. However, before they could say anything, another voice answered for them.

"As a matter of fact, yes."

The three heroes turned around to see an old Chinese man in a flowery red shirt. Ladybug and Chat Noir recognised him immedietaly, but Alya had no idea who he was. Thankfully, he introduced himself promptly.

"Hello Alya, my name is Wang Fu. I am the guardian of the miraculous."

A long series of explanations followed, mainly about the guardianship of the miraculouses. While Ladybug and Chat Noir were initially shocked by how much information Master Fu was revealing, they accepted that these were unusual circumstances. It was the first time somebody involved in an akuma attack had died, after all.

"Unfortunately, Hawkmoth is in sense onto something." said Master Fu, motioning them to walk with him as they talked. "I cannot reveal too much here, but I can tell you that the miraculouses of creation and destruction can indeed bring somebody back to life, but not in the way that Hawkmoth envisions."

Alya's heart skipped a beat. So there _was_ a possibility that Nino could come back?

"What exactly does that mean?" she asked, unable to hide the urgency in her voice.

"Not here." said Master Fu, in a tone more serious than before. "I will explain further once we get to my house."

* * *

After a long walk around the block, Master Fu eventually led the trio to his house. Only Ladybug recognised the building, but was in for a surprise when Master Fu revealed a secret ladder, leading down to a basement room full of potions. As they climbed down the ladder, Master Fu continued his explaination.

"If the Ladybug and Cat miraculous are worn together, and the kwamis take a special brand of potion, it is possible to 'destroy' an old form to create, or in this case, re-create a new one." he said, climbing down the ladder behind the three. Once down the ladder, he began to fettle with the various bottles laid out and arranged on a dusty desk, full of strange contraptions, glasses and various scrolls full of ancient texts.

"However, it is incredibly risky." said Master Fu, turning to face the heroes. "Not only does it endanger the kwamis, but if done incorrectly, it will have serious consequences. I will not mince my words; it may greatly harm or even kill the wearer, as the opposing forces of creation and destruction can pull the user apart."

Ladybug and Chat Noir went silent, not used to their guardian being sounding so stern. Master Fu quickly realised that what he had said had rattled them, which quickly led him back to his usual gentle tone.

"And I must also warn you," he said, this time more softly. "that using the power of the miraculous in this way will have consequences of its own. What those consequences may be, I cannot tell. But there will always be a price to pay for bringing back a life."

Alya swallowed nervously. Although a lot of what Master Fu was saying went over her head, she understood enough to know that this was a dangerous mission. And for such a dangerous mission, she wasn't about to put anyone else in danger. She felt she had already done that far too many times.

"Master Fu," she said, stepping forward. "If we are going to go through with this, I think I should be the one to wear the miraculouses."

Maste Fu raised an eyebrow. "Very brave of you, young lady. May I ask why you think you should be the wearer?" he asked gently. "It is a very high risk and unpredictable task"

"I understand, Master." responded Alya calmly. "But I've put my friends and my heroes in danger too much at this point." she looked back to Ladybug and Chat Noir, who lightly shook their heads, communicating that they didn't think any of it was her fault. Alya smiled weakly, then turned back to Master Fu.

"If Ladybug, Chat Noir, the kwamis and you are willing to let me do this, I promise I won't mess this up!" she said firmly. "With respect, Master, grant me this mission."

Master Fu looked up to Ladybug, then to Chat Noir.

"I'm willing to go through with it, but it's more my kwami's choice than mine." said Ladybug.

"Same." said Chat Noir, stepping up next to Ladybug.

Master Fu nodded. "Then let us first ask the kwamis what they think."

"Uh...wait, Master, how are we going to...you know…" said Chat Noir, unsure how the kwamis would be able to talk with Alya without Ladybug and him revealing their secret identities.

"Not to worry. I will designate you both separate rooms to detransform, and the kwamis will meet here with me and Miss Césaire." he said. "Ladybug, you can take the room on the left, the one with the pink door. Chat Noir, the one of the right with the brown door."

The two heroes nodded to Master Fu, then to each other. Exchanging a trusting smile, the two heroes climbed up the ladder to their individual rooms, leaving Alya and Master Fu waiting in the basement.

* * *

Not long after, Tikki and Plagg flew into the room. After some brief introductions, Tikki eventually brought up the pressing matter.

"So, Master, I talked to my owner, and we both decided that even though we're not 100% sure about it, we're willing to give it a try." she said.

"Very well," said Master Fu, smiling. "And you, Plagg?"

"Well I didn't exactly talk much with Adr-I mean, my owner" he said, hastily correcting himself and earning a warning glare from Tikki. "But I'm also willing to do it."

Plagg then hung his head slightly, and then slowly looked up at Alya.

"It was my cataclysm that...that caused all of this mess." mumbled the black kwami, "And I want to set things right. I'm sorry for what happened to your friend."

Tikki was rather touched by Plagg's uncharacteristic thoughfulness. Master Fu also seemed to be impressed, as Alya's smile grew.

"Well, the kwamis are willing, Ladybug and Chat Noir are willing, and you have volunteered to be the wearer." said Master Fu. "I see no reason why we can't proceed."

Alya couldn't believe it. They were actually going to do it.

As she struggled to hold back her emotions, Tikki and Plagg flew back up to their owners. Soon after, Ladybug and Chat Noir returned down to the basement, having transformed back.

"Thank you so much...thank you, all of you..." said Alya, with a gratitude that seemed to overflow from her heart. Master Fu nodded as if to say 'you're very welcome', while Ladybug went over and gave Alya a warm hug.

"To business, then." said Master Fu, rubbing his hands together. He turned to his desk, retrieving an old scroll, and setting it down on the ground in front of them. He looked up at the trio, who all had a fire in their eyes. Determination, bravery, honour, trust. Everything was there. Master Fu could only smile at his students.

"Now," he said, rolling the scroll out across the floor. "Let's bring your friend back."

*******To Be Continued*******

* * *

**Thank you for reading this far! The next chapter should be out soon, along with the final chapter and epilogue. Stay tuned!**


	5. A Price To Pay

**A darker miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

* * *

**_Chapter 5: _**_**A price to pay**_

Alya poked her around the corner. Master Fu smiled up at her, and nodded to the basement trapdoor. Alya followed him down the staircase, niether of them saying anything in the tense atmosphere of the moment. The day had finally come.

It had been another week, and Master Fu had very nearly perfected the potion. Now, it was time to finish it off.

"Were you able to bring the final ingredient?" asked Master Fu, walking over to the cauldron he was brewing the potion in, which was a distinct shade of silvery green.

Alya nodded, holding out a small bag. The last ingredient was a little disturbing; in order to destroy an old form and create a new one, they had to destroy a part of the person they were trying to bring back. As Nino was Cataclysmed, they initially had nothing to work with, but Alya had wracked her brains and come up with a solution.

She opened the bag to reveal Nino's cap. She turned it over, and inside it was the answer: a single strand of hair.

"I know it's stupid, and a little morbid." she said, as she held out the strand for Master Fu. "...But it's...it's...the only...part of him I have left."

Master Fu thanked her for her sacrifice, and gently took it from her. As he placed it in the cauldron, the potion glowed a brilliant white.

"Tikki! Plagg! Come down, the potion is ready!" he called, knocking lightly on the ladder leading up to the trapdoor.

The two kwamis quickly phased through the ceiling, gliding down next to Alya.

"Wait, how are Ladybug and Chat Noir going to be able to protect Paris if Tikki and Plagg are here?" said Alya, slightly surprised. She hadn't thought about that aspect of the mission until now.

"There are more than two kwamis, and I have entrusted Ladybug and Chat Noir with two other miraculouses just in case." said Master Fu. "But I appreciate your concern."

"Now" he said, scooping up the potion from the cauldron into two test tubes. "Tikki, Plagg, you are aware of the risks, yes?"

The two kwamis nodded.

"Yes, master. But we're willing to go through with it." said Tikki.

"You bet! We're doing this, and we're doing it today." chimed Plagg, turning to Alya. "For Nino."

Alya couldn't help but smile. She was beyond grateful for the kwamis' enthusiasm.

"Right, take the potion you two, and Alya, put on the miraculouses."

As Tikki and Plagg drank from the test tubes, Alya put on the Ladybug earrings and slipped on the Chat Noir ring. She was then taken by surprise when the kwamis started to glow the same brilliant white as the potion.

"Woah!" exclaimed Tikki, looking at her now completely shiny-white self.

"Cool!" yelled Plagg, doing summersaults in midair as he too admired his new colour scheme.

"Now Alya, you must transform into Ladybug or Chat Noir first, and then unify the miraculous. Then you will have the power to bring your friend back."

Alya nodded, selecting the Ladybug miraculous. Even though it was a serious task, she couldn't contain her excitement at the thought of becoming her hero, Ladybug.

"Tikki, spots on!"

A flash of red light filled the room, and from it emerged the new Ladybug. Alya looked down at the iconic red costume, which now sported white streaks rather than black polkadots. She loved how the miraculous had personalised the outfit for her. Was this what it felt like to be Ladybug on a regular basis?

She quickly shook herself out of her daydream, and got straight down to business.

"Tikki, Plagg, unify!"

Plagg was sucked into his ring as Alya again glowed a brilliant red, then black, then a piercing bright white. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked down at her costume, then at the mirror across from her.

It was a sight to behold. Her eyes had now turned an electric blue, and her hair was in a graceful ponytail that flowed down to her waist. She was in a white, ladybug-style attire adorned with black streaks, but with Chat Noir's tail and ears.

Alya didn't exactly know what to think, other than that the look was very futuristic and had almost an angelic quality. She closed her eyes, imagining what her powers might be. After a few moments of meditation, an other-worldly instinct told her what she needed to do.

"I can create...a portal." she said, turning to Master Fu. "I think that's what my ability is. But instead of time, I can create a portal to the...uh…"

"Spiritual realm!" finished Master Fu for her. "Of course! That must be where you will find your friend!"

"Right!" said Alya excitedly. After calming herself down from their revelation, she put on her serious mode as she held out her hand in front of her.

It happened instantly. Alya only moved her fingers slightly, but the result was a glowing orb appearing with a flash, the inside of it strangely transparent but distorted. Alya looked inside, and gulped. This was unknown territory of the highest order.

"Alright Master. I'm going in." she said firmly, taking a step towards the portal.

"Good luck, Alya." he said, nodding reassuringly.

After one last glance back at Master Fu, Alya turned back aroud, and jumped head first into the unknown realm.

* * *

Alya stepped into a completely white room. At least, it felt like a room, apart from the fact there seemed to be no ceiling or walls. She felt a floor of sorts beneath her feet, but that was about it. Everything was simply too bright of a white colour to tell.

She closed her eyes again, and somehow she knew what to do. With all the emotion she could muster, Alya made a silent wish.

_I wish Nino would come back to life. _

She opened her eyes. What she saw made her heart race.

It was Nino.

He was lying on the floor, motionless in front of her. She ran up to him, kneeling down and shaking his shoulders.

"NINO! NINO! Are you there? Wake up!"

No response. Alya began to feel a sense of irrational panic, as if she was losing him all over again.

"Nino...Nino, please...please…" she said, shaking him harder.

To her absolute relief, Nino stirred, and his eyes snapped open. He took one look at Alya, and instantly jumped back in shock.

"AHHH! What...who...where am I?! And...and who are you?"

"It's okay, Nino." said Alya, her voice cracking from excitement, shock and happiness. "It's me, Alya! We're...we're going to bring you back!"

She couldn't believe it. She had done it. They had done it. He was back!

"Wait...what?" he said, seemingly still confused out of his mind.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I'll explain everything later." she said, taking his arm and pulling him back towards the portal. "Come on, let's go back! Marinette and Adrien are gonna be so happy to see you! And your family, your classmates, Ms. Bustier, and-"

She stopped dead in her tracks as Nino pulled his arm out of her grasp. She looked back at him, confused.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I...I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about."

"What do you mean, Nino?"

"I mean I don't know any of those names!" he protested. "And why do you keep calling me 'Nino'?"

Alya froze. She felt her blood run cold as a horrible suspiscion entered her mind.

"Because...that's your name! You...do know that, right?"

"No! My name's not Nino, its…"

He then trailed off. Alya raised an eyebrow, waiting on tenderhooks for the answer.

"...I actually can't remember. I don't remember...much at all..."

"But...but, you remember me...right?" said Alya desperately, walking up to him. She felt as if she was clutching at straws. "Me? Alya?"

Whatever ounce of hope Alya had left was shattered when Nino said something that broke her heart all over again.

"I'm sorry but...I don't know anyone called Alya."

Alya couldn't take it anymore. She held her hand over her mouth, tears beginning to stream down her face uncontrollably as she realised something tragic.

Nino's memory had not survived. The price to pay for bringing him back.

* * *

"So yeah, that's what...that's what happened."

"I see...I'm terribly sorry."

Master Fu comforted Alya as she explained the situation through tears. Bringing Nino back into the real world through the portal had not changed anything; he was still clueless about everything.

For a while, the three sat in silence in the basement lab. Finally, Master Fu got up, and slowly walked over to Nino, putting a hand on his knee.

"Come, young man. You need to rest for today." he said gently. Then he turned to a distresssed Alya. "Alya, you must destransform before the miraculouses become too dangerous. I will notify Ladybug and Chat Noir as well as your friends about what happened, but for now I think he may need time to process and calm down on his own."

Alya nodded in defeat.

"Tikki, Plagg, divide. Spots off."

As she detransformed and the kwamis materialised into view, they immedietaly flew up to Alya. They said nothing, but they both knew what had gone down in the spirit realm. All they could do was perch on her shoulders, and give her a comforting nuzzle.

As they climbed back up the ladder and Master Fu led Nino away to another room, Alya paused for a second.

"Wait! Master….um.." She didn't have to finish her sentence for Master Fu to know what she needed. He stepped back as Alya walked up to Nino, and gave him the warmest hug she could. Even if he wasn't himself, just feeling him up against her was some consolation.

After what felt like hours, she let go of him. Nino looked puzzled, but smiled very slightly. Alya gave him a weak smile in return, then turned to leave.

"Thank you, Master. For everything." she said earnestly. Master Fu nodded, and led Nino away.

"Don't lose hope Alya." she heard him say from the hallway as she opened the door to leave.

Alya tried to smile agian, but it just wouldn't come. She shook her head as she waited for the tears to start again. But they wouldn't come either.

She felt so empty. It was almost worse than being overwhelmingly emotional. Everything had gone numb. She hated that. She wanted to feel something, anything.

As she walked home, she passed the park where they had held Nino's funeral. She shook her head as she tried to force herself to walk past it without stopping. In the end, she stayed standing still in front of the park entrance for what must have been a good twenty minutes, her thoughts at war with themselves.

"Alya?"

Alya jumped a little in shock as she was shaken out of her thought train, and turned to find Adrien and Marinette standing behind her.

"Hey, Alya…" said Adrien. "We just got the news from Master Fu and...well...we're really sorry it had to happen like this."

Alya shook her head again.

"There was always going to be a price to pay." she said, in almost a faint whisper. "I shouldn't have got my hopes up that high anyways."

Marinette quickly walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"Don't say that. There still could be good in this." she said softly, as Alya's head flopped lazily onto her shoulder. "And me and Adrien will always be here if you need somebody to talk to."

Alya finally managed to smile as she looked up at her two friends, who looked ready to tear up themselves. Just as they came together for a bear hug, Alya heard yet another mysterious voice.

"Wassup!"

The three yelped and turned around to find a woman in a peculiar costume standing behind them. Her crimson red hair was short and spikey, and she was wearing a blue and white costue with an umbrella on her back. A blue and white mask covered her eyes, and she had something that looked like rabbit ears sticking out of her head.

"The name's Bunnix, in case you were wondering." she said, winking at the three teenagers. Marinette and Adrien held their tongues, but of course their alter egos were familair with the time-travelling superhero that was in fact their classmate Alix from the future.

"Bunnix...um, why exactly are you here?" asked Adrien, trying to sound as innocent as possible so as to not give away the fact that he had already met her.

"Master Fu sent me." she replied cooly, turning to Alya. "You're Alya, right?"

Alya nodded nervously. "Are you a superhero like Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

Bunnix winked in return.

"You better believe it! I'm not usually called up for normal missions though. But, this is a very special case, wouldn't you agree?"

Alya nodded again, but was still slightly confused as to why Master Fu had sent her.

"Can I ask what exactly he sent you for?" she said. Bunnix smiled, walked up to Alya and put an arm around her.

"I'm here to talk to you about your friend. Nino, was it?"

Alya tensed up. They had already done everything they could. What now? Was Nino going to be taken away again?

Bunnix quickly realised Alya was nervous, and chuckled lightly.

"Well, I'm here to tell you that we can't restore his memory, per se. But..." she said, as the trio of friends instantly looked up, curious as to where this was going.

"...but there is a chance that we could recreate it."

"What exactly does that mean?" asked Marinette.

"It means," said Bunnix, standing upright and pulling out her umbrella. "that there's still a chance that we can bring your Nino back."

*******To Be Continued*******

* * *

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter is the last one, plus the epilogue! **


	6. Always Will

**A dark Miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

**Last Chapter guys! Nearly there!**

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Always Will**_

"I had a feeling this day would come"

"What day?"

"The day I get to use my power for something like this. It's not everyday I get to show people this much."

Alya followed Bunnix (who was dragging Nino) into the school atrium, where he had been cataclysmed. Bunnix had already explained what she planned to do: by taking Nino through her time burrow and replaying his life up until his death from a spectator perspective, Nino would 'regain' his memory, and come back roughly the way he used to be. It wasn't restoring his memory, but it was as close as they could get.

Being very careful to avoid being spotted while hiding Nino at the same time, Bunnix walked over to the very spot where Nino had first disappeared, and created a portal on the spot. She then gestured for Nino to come with her.

"It's a superstition of mine, but I think it's best we start where this mess began." she explained. "Sorry if it's rough to be back here." Alya shook her head. She had gotten used to it by now, for the most part.

"Be back in a lifetime" she said jokingly. "Well, to you it could be as quick as a few seconds, but hopefully by the time we're back, I'll have Nino's memory back."

Alya nodded, unable to form words somehow.

"If we bring a fully memory-restored Nino back here, it'll be hysteria." said Bunnix. "Do you have a more private place where you'd want to bring him back to?"

"My place, living room." Alya responded, without thinking. She had already thought about this, and decided she wanted to be alone with him, Marinette and Adrien to welcome him back.

"Got it." said Bunnix, with her trademark wink. "Here's hoping this works!"

With one last salute, Bunnix and Nino disappeared into the portal.

Inside the portal, Nino stepped into Bunnix's time burrow. It was a sight to behold: a white void with seemingly non-existent walls covered with portals playing out various scenarios in the past and, he could only assume, the future. The portal next to him caught his eye, and he was rather shocked at what he saw. He saw himself being cataclysmed, and his friends mourning over him. But nobody was mourning harder than Alya.

Unable to watch any more, he turned around to try and process everything. He then looked up at Bunnix, who smiled back, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"You mean the world to her, kid. You really do. And I don't think it's revealing too much to tell you that that won't ever change." she said, winking.

"Now" she said, shifting up and walking over to another portal. "Time for business."

Nino walked over to the portal, as Bunnix grinned and took his arm.

"Let's go get your memory back."

* * *

Alya quickly sprinted home, texting Marinette and Adrien as she ran.

She reached her house in no time at all, and only had to wait a few minutes before Adrien and Marinette came through the door.

"Are they here yet?" asked Marinette.

"Not yet, but Bunnix will be able to see us, and she'll be back once we're all here." said Alya. "So any minute now I guess." Adrien and Marinette could tell that even though she was mostly calm, her voice was shaking.

Adrien went over and placed a comforting hand on Alya's shoulder, while Marinette held her hand.

"It'll be okay, Alya. No matter which way this goes." said Adrien softly.

"Yeah, he's still Nino either way." said Marinette.

Alya smiled weakly. "Thanks guys...I don't know what I'd do withou-"

Her words were interrupted by a portal forming in the middle of the room. After a few moments of blinding white light, Bunnix stepped through, poking her head out of the portal.

"Well, that certainly took a while." she said, looking rather exhausted. "But I think you'll thank me for it!" she said, winking at her mini-friends. She then stepped through to the room, guiding Nino by the arm through the portal as it faded behind them.

Nino looked around, confused, but seemed to register where he was quite quickly. His eyes then fell on Alya, shifted to Adrien and Marinette, then back to Alya. For a good few moments, her and Nino simply stared at each other. Then, for the first time in what felt like forever, he spoke.

"Alya…."

As if magnetically attracted to one another, the two ran over and threw their arms around each other, tears spilling from their eyes. Alya broke down completely as a million different feelings poured out from her heart, aching and weighed down with raw, pure emotion. Surprise, utter joy, confusion and clarity, and an overwhelming sense of relief; it only took one word from Nino, and she knew in that moment from the way he said her name that Bunnix had succeeded. Her Nino was back.

"I'm so sorry...I'm so, so sorry..." he said as he held her tighter. "I won't ever leave you again, babe. I promise."

Alya simply whimpered and nodded, before burying her face in his chest again. Nino ran his hand through her hair, taking in all the emotions and letting them boil over. Everything felt heavy and refreshing all at the same time.

The events of the previous few weeks all seemed to flash by in both of their minds. The akuma, the hospital bed, the cataclysm, the funeral, the potion making, the spirit realm. All the high and lows, the moments that felt like false hope, none of that matter anymore. All that mattered was that they had each other again. They both held each other tighter still as the same thought echoed through their minds.

_I will never let you go. _

The pair broke apart after a good few minutes, and looked up at their friends. Adrien and Marinette both had tears in their eyes as they ran over to Nino and Alya, enveloping them in a bear hug. Marinette cried her eyes out in relief on Nino's shoulder while Adrien put his arm around him as tears of joy streamed down his jacket. Bunnix eventually joined them, and the five friends simply remained that way for a while.

When they finally separated, there was time for individual hugs, and many heartfelt thanks for Bunnix. After a few more minutes, Bunnix announced she was heading back to the future.

"I can't thank you enough, Bunnix." said Nino, for what felt like the millionth time.

"Me too" said Alya, slipping her hand into Nino's. "I don't think I can ever repay you."

"Don't need to, that's my job" grinned Bunnix. "But you could do me a little favour."

"What's that?" asked Nino.

"Well, mini-me isn't great with feelings" she said, referring to her tomboyish high school self. "So when I try and give you an awkward hug when I see you at school again, just go with it." she chuckled. Nino laughed, and promised her he would. Bunnix then waved goodbye to her mini-friends, and disappeared back into the future through her portal.

Nino then turned to Alya, who was beaming up at him. He smiled back at her, and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"You do know that I still love you, right?"

Alya nodded. Somehow she just knew.

"You sure you aren't saying that just because you know you used to?" she said, half-jokingly half-seriously.

Nino shook his head. "It sounds really cheesy, but while Bunnix was showing me my life, I actually fell in love all over again." he said, making Alya blush ever so slightly. "Ask Bunnix. She didn't tell me you were my girlfriend. I just watched us talk in the zoo enclosure that one time, and me and...uh, me-from-the-past I guess, both fell for you right there."

Alya let out a happy giggle. As Nino turned to talk to Adrien and Marinette, Alya could only stare at her boyfriend, smiling away to herself. Just having him there, appreciating the fact that she could talk to him, hear him, feel him. It was nothing short of a miracle.

She closed her eyes, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Nino smiled, and turned to face her. The pair gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, until Nino pulled her in and kissed her like never before.

It was beyond passionate. There seemed to be a fire between them, as if they were fighting to show the other that they loved them more. The two lovebirds were in absolute ecstasy as they ran their hands through each other's hair, savouring the blessing of being together once again.

After what felt like hours, and many awkward shifting glances between Marinette and Adrien later, they broke apart. Then, they both said the words they'd been dying to say for so long.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And they truly did. They always did. And somehow they knew in their hearts that no matter what, they always would.

******* _Fin_ *******

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**Thanks for reading all the way to the end! There you have the happy ending :) DJWifi for lifffeeeee! Check out the epilogue too! **


	7. Epilogue: Story Time

**A dark Miraculous story about Nino and Alya that ends in tragedy...or does it?**

**Here's the epilogue!**

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_**Epilogue: Story time**_

_*28 years later*_

"So you guys are serious about this, huh?"

"Yes Mom, I am. We've been through this."

Alya smiled at her eldest daughter sitting across from her at the dinner table. She had grown up so fast. One minute ago Alya could have sworn she was still a baby, and now she was getting ready to move in with her partner.

"Eva, you know we support your choice." she said, leaning forward. "I just want to make sure you'll take care of each other."

"I promise we will, Mom." she responded earnestly. Alya grinned and nodded her approval. She could tell from the look in Eva's eyes that she was ready to do anything to make it work, and so was her boyfriend Hugo.

"I know you will." she said. "Just remember to never take each other for granted. You never know what might happen. The last thing you want is to not realise how good you had it until it's gone."

Eva nodded, though slightly confused.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

Alya went quiet for a moment. She then looked over at her husband, sitting on the couch with their young twins. Nino looked up, caught her eye and gave her his signature grin. His hair and neatly kept beard were greying every so slightly, but his eyes still had the same magical warmth that drove her crazy in high school. Alya smiled, and then turned back to Eva.

"Sorry, what was I saying again?"

"About not taking each other for granted, 'cus you never know what might happen?" Eva reminded her, curious to see where her mother was going with this.

"Oh, yes that's right." Alya said, settling back into her chair.

"So let me tell you a story about your dad…"

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**Finally at the end! Thank you again for reading, feel free to leave a review or suggestions for future works!**


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